Sevilla 0 - Barcelona 0

Sevilla: Notario; Njegus, Javi Navarro, Oscar, David; Casquero, Torrado; Gallardo, Reyes (Víctor Salas 18'), Marcos Vales (Daniel Alvés 58'); Toedtli (Antoñito 68'). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Gabri, Puyol, Frank De Boer, Sorín; Mendieta (Reiziger 61'), Gerard, Cocu, Luis Enrique; Saviola (Riquelme 85'), Kluivert. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Sevilla: Oscar, Torrado, Marcos Vales, Toedtli for Pablo Alfaro, Víctor Salas, Daniel Alvés, Machlas / Barcelona: Mendieta, Gerard for Overmars, Riquelme.

Goals: None.

While Barcelona's basketball team were winning the European title for the first time in their history, their football side could only manage a 0-0 draw at Sevilla. Many of their fans preferred to watch the "final four" rather than switch their televisions to the pay channel, and they made the right decision as their side once again to live up to expectations. Starting their match after all their rivals had finished, both sides knew that a victory would take them up to the much coveted sixth spot, the last train to the UEFA cup. None of the other five contenders had managed to win, and the prize was there for the taking. However with Notario and Víctor Valdés on excellent form they had to be content with a point each, leaving the Catalans a point away from their objective in seventh place and their opponents a point behind them in eleventh.

Reyes showed some good touches early on, but he left the field limping in the eighteenth minute after a hard tackle from Puyol. Even without their inspirational youngster though Sevilla did get the first shots on target, Víctor tipping over a lob from Torrado and then saving from Toedtli, who had been preferred to Antoñito and Machlas in the striker's shirt this week. The best chances though fell to Kluivert and Luis Enrique either side of half time, but Notario proved why he is rated as one of the league's best keepers with two excellent saves.

After that though the Sevilla back four tightened up and Barça hardly had another sight at goal. Gallardo was running rings round the defence, and Víctor had to be at his best to stop efforts from the winger and from substitute Antoñito, who had replaced Toedtli earlier in the half. The young keeper's efforts at least saved a point for the Catalans, but they will have to do better if they want to keep up their 100% record in Europe for another year.